Singing bird clock



Ap 18, 1950 P. D. DAVES ETAL fi -y smcmc; BIRD CLOCK Filed Aug. 13, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 P. D. @AVES ET AL SINGING BIRD CLDCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 15, 3.947

Pearl 3 Davis & EdwardPParfer J7.

taken through the mounted upon the clock casing;

Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SINGING BIRD CLOCK Pearl D. Davis and Edward Pratt Porter, J r., Bellefontaine, Ohio 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to clocks, and more specifically to clocks of the type embodying novel and ornamental sound-producing mechanisms accompanied by a bird-simulating figure.

The primary object of this invention is to provide in conjunction with a clock, a bird-simulating figure capable of novel movement, and a me chanical sound-producing mechanism for simulating the song of a bird at time intervals of the operation of the clock.

It is another object of the present invention to provide mechanism of the character described, which is mechanically efficient, yet structurally simple, and which utilizes, and may be adapted for use with, the usual clock mechanisms without extensive modification thereto.

These and various additional objects and advantages will be made more readily apparent with a further and more detailed understanding of the present invention, which may be had by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a novelty clock formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the clock mechanism with the clock casing shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along a plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view bird-simulating figure Fig. 6 is a top plan view, partially in horizontal section, of the bird-simulating figure.

' Fig. '7 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken along the line 1-! of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detailed ver ical sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 4, and disclosing in detail the whistle device associated with the present manner, is provided with a plurality of co-axial shafts. M which carry exteriorly disposed hour, minute, and second hands positioned in registration with the usual clock dial !5. The minute hand shaft of the clock movement I2 is provided with a shaft extension 16 which extends rearwardly from the clock movement housing, and carries at its outer end a star-shaped cam or spur gear IT. This latter spur gear ll is in turn provided with four equally spaced node portions, each of which is provided with a rearwardly extending stud l 8. Mounted adjacent the spur gear ll, in vertical alignment with the outer end thereof, is a swinging armature or circuit breaker I!) which, as shown in Fig. 3, is hingedly mounted and engageable with the rearwardly projecting studs N3 of the gear as the same approach a substantially horizontal plane. The gear, upon rotation of the minute hand shaft, serves to impart a limited swinging movement to the circuit breaker I9 in a clockwise direction. Disposed adjacent the lower end of the circuit breaker are a pair of electrical circuit terminals 20, which serve in conjunction with the swinging circuit breaker It to provide a switch for a second and relatively small electric motor 2|. It will be seen, that as the spur gear I1 undergoes rotation at time intervals with respect to the minute hand, and due to the ninety degree location of the node portions, the circuit breaker l9 will be brought into engagement with the open contacts 20 of the switch at 15 minute intervals of the clock operation. A manually operable shaft 22, which extends rearwardly of the casing H, carries a cam stud 23 at its inner end which is engageable with the swinging circuit breaker [9, whereby the switch may be closed independently of the clock operation.

As shown particularly" in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the two electric motors I3 and 2! utilize a common electrical outlet conduit 24, with the smaller electric motor 2! being connected in series with the synchronous motor E3. The smaller electric motor 2!, disposed adjacent the clock movement, is provided with an armature shaft 25 which carries at its outer end a wheel 26 having a single throw crank arm 21. Pivotally linked with the crank arm 27 is the upper end of a connecting rod 28 which is pivotally attached, as at 29, to the lower movable portion of a stationary bellows 30. The bellows 3!! is provided with a forced air outlet 3| around which is mounted the intake opening of a whistle 32. The latter whistle comprises a generally cylindrical and tubular body, provided with a moon-shaped opening 33 throughwhich forced'air, introduced 1 by way of the opening 3!, is discharged from the whistle to produce a sound of given pitch. The

whistle 32 is further provided with a slidable piston or trombone valve 34 which serves to vary the tone or pitch of the whistle, The piston 34 is carried upon a relatively elongated shaft 35 which is pivotally linked to the outer end of a spring-pressed cam follower arm 36. The up and down movement of the piston 34 within the whistle 32 is controlled by means of a cam gear 3'! which is driven by thesmall electric motor 25 by way of a reduction gear system 38 disposed between the armature shaft 25 of the motor and the axially disposed shaft of the cam gear 31. The cam follower arm 36 is providedv with a, downwardly extending wedge-shaped pintle 39 which is maintained in meshing engagement with the peripheral surface of the cam gear, and is subject to vertical displacement, inaccordance with the nodes and dwells of the gear.

It will be seen, that upon operation of the electric motor 2! the bellows 30 will be driven by the reciprocating movement of the connecting rod 28 to furnish forced air for the whistle 32, at the same time the cam gear 3'! will be driven at a relatively slower rate of speed, whereby the piston 34 carried within the whistle will be caused to move in an up and down motion, in accordance with the nodes and dwells of the cam gear, to vary the pitch and tone of the whistle 32. By predetermined measurement, the depth and height of the nodes and dwells of the cam gear 3! may be controlled to simulate or produce a certain bird song within the associated whistle 32, whereby a bird song is simulated in a realistic and pleasing manner.

Mounted upon a hollow perch 48, carried upon the upper surface of the casing H, is a hollow bird figure 4| which, for purposes of ornamentation, is confined within a bird cage 42. The bird figure 4i may advantageously be provided with an outer coating of feathers to simulate a realistic appearance, and is constructed so as to have a movable beak 42', a head 43 arranged for limited rotational movement, and a tail 44 which is pivotally attached to the body portion of the figure,

as at 45, for a fluttering movement. The movement of the various portions of the bird figure e! is accomplished by means of a linkage disposed within the body of the figure, and responsive to the movement of the cam: gear 31., so that move ment within the bird figure is synchronized with the bird song produced by the whistle 32'. The tail and beak movement of the bird is accomplished by means of a pivotaily mounted lever 46 which is connected at one end with the cam follower arm 36, as at 46a, and carries at its oppo site end a vertically arising-shaft 41. This shaft, in turn, is linked through the body of the bird figure with one arm of a T-shaped and pivotally mounted lever 48. The opposite arms of the lever 48 are pivotally linked respectively to the inner end of a tail extension shaft 49, which is rigidly attached to the pivotally mounted tail 44, and to one end of a connecting rod to which is attached at its opposite end to a pivotally mounted bell crank lever 5| pivotally attached, as at 51a, to the movable beak 42" of the bird.

In view of the above described relationship between the tail and beak portions of the bird figure and the cam gear 31, it will be seen that upon rotation of the cam gear the beak and tail portions of the figure will be moved at relatively high speeds in accordance with the formation of the peripheral edge of the gear, whereby the movement of the beak and tail of the-figure is more or less synchronized with the changes of 4 tone of the whistle 32, thus affording a degree of realism to the movements of the bird figure.

As before stated, the bird figure 4| is provided with a head portion 43 which is mounted upon the body of the bird for limited rotational movement to simulate the turning of the head of the bird. This latter movement, is accomplished by means of a second pivotally mounted lever arm 52' disposed adjacent the arm 46, and fulcrumed by a common pin 53. Rocking movement is imparted to the lever arm 52 by means of a downwardly projecting arm 52a disposed at one end of the lever and engageable with a plurality of studs 31a whichproiect outwardly from the face of the cam gear 31. These studs are radially disposed, andserve upon rotation of the gear to engage the arm extension and force the same upwardly at desired intervals. The outer end of the lever arm 52 pivotally carries thelower end of a vertically arising shaft 54. which extends through the hollow perch All. and upwardly into the interior of the bird figure 4!, in the same manner as the shaft 41. The upper end of this shaft is pivotally attached as at 54a, to one arm of a centrally fulcrumed bell. crank lever 55 disposed adjacent the T shaped lever 48. The opposite end of the bell crank lever 55 carries a connecting rod 56 which is linked at its oppositeend, as at 56a, to the outer end of a crank arm 51 ri idly carried at the lower end of a shaft 58. This shaft 58 is rigidly connected with the head portion 43 of the figure, and upon oscillatory movement, serves to impart a limited rotation to the head to simulate the turning movement thereto. The shaft 58 is rotatably supported within a bearing collar 59 which, in turn, is attached, to the fulcrum point of the bell crank lever 5!, It will be seen, that due to. the relative spacing between the studs 31a, disposed upon the outer face of the cam gear 31., the turning movement of the head of the bird will be relatively slower in cycle than the movement of the tail and beak, of the figure. Also, due to the associated disposition of the leverage associated with the beak and head of the bird. the beak 42 will remain movable during the limited rotation of the head of the bird, further increasing the realistic qualities ofthe figure in accordance with the bird song produced by the whistle 32.

In view of the foregoing, it wil be seen that the present invention provides an attractive and ornamental novel clock including a singing and movable bird figure operated independently of the clock mechanism by means of a relatively small and'inexpensive electric motor whose actuation is controlled at time intervals of operation of the associated clock movement.

While a preferred form of the present invention has been disclosed in detail, it will be manifest that various modifications as to details of construction may be accomplished without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claim:

We claim:

In a novelty clock, a. casing, a clock movement including a minute hand shaft, an electric synchronous motor for said clock movement, a cam carried by the minute hand shaft of said clock movement, a switch having a movable circuitbreaker' arm engageable, with said camv for opening and closing said switch at time, intervals of operation of said clock movement, a second electric motor having an operating circuit controlled 2,504,811 5 8 by said switch, a whistle, a piston slidably REFERENCES CITED mounted within said whistle for varying the pitch The following references are of record in the thereof, a bellows operated by said second motor me of this patent: for supplying forced air to said whistle, a cam wheel driven by said second motor, a cam fol- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS lower engageable with said cam wheel and con- Number Name Date nected with said piston for moving the latter 465,441 Weisser Dec. 15, 1891 within said whistle, a movable bird-simulating 1,789,044 Jauch Jan. 13, 1931 figure carried exteriorly of said casing, and means 1,793,984 Williams Feb. 24, 1931 responsive to the operation of said cam wheel for 10 efiecting movement within said figure.

PEARL D. DAVIS.

EDWARD PRATT PORTER, JR. 

